HTML 5: A closer look at the technology that will replace Flash

posted by Scott H. / Nov 11, 2011, 12:59 PM

In the wake of Adobe ending development of Flash for mobile
devices, the launch pad has been cleared for HTML 5 to take off and change the
web forever. HTML 5, the fifth incarnation of the hypertext markup language
used to drive websites, allows web developers to create “app-like” experiences
that work in most modern browsers without any plugins.

In the past, websites that wanted media-rich interactive
content had to rely upon Adobe’s Flash or other browser add-ons.The technology was developed for desktop
computers, and in April of 2011 Steve Jobs famously penned an essay condemning
the use of Flash on mobile devices, and popular Apple mobile products like the
iPad and iPhone have continued to eschew Flash.

Adobe made great strides with the mobile version of Flash
Player, and modern dual-core smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S II provide
excellent Flash experience for mobile web-surfing. Unfortunately for Adobe, the
popularity of iOS products meant they had to find a way to support those
platforms, or risk losing developers who want to create cross-platform content.

HTML 5 was the solution – it will work
on any device with a modern browser. As a result, Adobe built HTML 5 support
into its content creation software. While yhis
means that Adobe developers can now export apps and interactive websites to all
mobile platforms, it also meant that the money Adobe invested into
mobile Flash was redundant, as Android and Blackberry handsets
support HTML 5 just as effectively as they do Flash.

It’s important to note that HTML 5 standard isn’t finished
yet. It has been under development since 2004, but the World Wide Web
Consortium (W3C) has yet to finalize it, and it’s thought that HTML 5 won’t see
it’s official incarnation until 2012. Despite its unfinished status, HTML 5 has
seen widespread adoption across the web. A recent survey reported in The Wall
Street Journal shows that 34 of the top 100 most popular websites use HTML 5.

It’s likely that the average user won’t even realize there’s
a difference between HTML 5 and Flash – and that’s exactly how developers want
it. The point is to make interactive experiences on the web that will rival
what is seen in apps. End users just want good content; they don’t really care
how it’s delivered to them.

Now that Adobe has committed to HTML 5, we will probably see
an acceleration of their efforts to promote HTML 5 creation tools, which can
only aid the forward march of HTML 5 as it transforms the web as we know it.

Posts: 2198; Member since: Sep 09, 2010

posted on Nov 11, 2011, 2:53 PM 5

Posts: 1345; Member since: Nov 12, 2011

As a Android fanboy I don't think we were trying to hold back html 5. The problem is that the majority of content that's on the web is flash and Android happens to have flash playback. Steve Jobs refused to support it and that's why many people ding iphones; they don't play flash. It's up to the internet to make the change, it has nothing to do with Android. It's a win win situation in my book as this will force web site content owners to convert.
Be it ios, Android, Blackberry or Windows mobile we just want something that works. I think "everyone" can agree on that. But there are still bigger issues concerning iphone vs Android. Flash was just a small part of it. For me I want more aggressive updates to the hardware on a yearly basis. A 2 year major refresh does not work against Android. With Tegra 3, 720p large screen displays coming up in the first half of 2012, iphone 5 is going to have to be spectacular.

posted on Nov 12, 2011, 12:58 PM 1

Posts: 6023; Member since: Dec 30, 2010

...wtf? How in the world did you come up with that conclusion?
How in the world can users slow it down...its up to companies to stop using it...like Adobe is doing.
What is wrong with you...?
Oh I forgot...having a choice is bad....the iPhone fanboy mantra...unless that choice is the iPhone or pro iPhone, Apple.

posted on Nov 13, 2011, 1:11 PM 0

Posts: 1319; Member since: Oct 07, 2011

Well considering before this flash was the only way to achieve certain things obviously we wanted to have the ability to use it, just because they are switching doesn't mean flash wasn't extremely helpful to have when it was the norm.
Dumbass. Troll elsewhere didn't you see what happened to taco

posted on Nov 11, 2011, 2:35 PM 7

Posts: 2198; Member since: Sep 09, 2010

Nope. Android fanboys were HOLDING ON dearly to flash and showed very little support to the progression of html5. Not because they don't recognize html5, but just because Apple was a strong supporter of it. And now you hate me even more for pointing that out :)

posted on Nov 11, 2011, 2:56 PM 5

Posts: 364; Member since: Oct 27, 2011

We supported flash because html 5 was not widely supported we welcome html 5 if it becomes the standard. You act like we are mindless but in reality most websites have flash.. Widely used. It its like full electric cars.... They are nice but until there are charging stations all over you won't see anyone driving across the country.. Go back to your cave and quit trying to troll.

posted on Nov 11, 2011, 3:30 PM 4

Posts: 2198; Member since: Sep 09, 2010

@jobes. You supported flash to slowdown the progression of html5. But now that the inevitable is coming, android fanboys act like they're innocent and have always embraced html5, lol. Come on. Are you trying to tell me that you've never seen arguments between iphone and android users on here. Androi dfanboys being oh so supportive of flash and iphone users pushing for html5. Now you forget. You guys are shameless :)

posted on Nov 11, 2011, 5:28 PM 3

Posts: 364; Member since: Oct 27, 2011

The dark side is we laughed when iPhone users couldn't use flash.. And that is still funny. But we didn't slow html 5 because we wanted to be able to use flash.. We didn't say omg flash and hold it dearly. its not dead but dying and as long as its the standard we will enjoy using it while a
IPhone users will not. I won't miss flash when its gone but for the time being I'll enjoy it. :)

posted on Nov 11, 2011, 5:40 PM 4

Posts: 2198; Member since: Sep 09, 2010

@jobes. And that's exactly what kept flash alive. Tolerance. Google and android users gave in to flash. While Apple resisted it. And with Apple's unselfish sacrifice of not supporting flash. It pushed the web industry to support html5 as well to cater to iphone users. If not for Apple's resistance, no one would have bothered putting out efforts to convert flash to html5. And you don't see that, or refuse to see that, because of your in-denial state :) Sometimes you have to make sacrifices to achieve something greater. Thanks to Apple's efforts. No thanks to Google and android fanboys for stalling the obvious.

posted on Nov 11, 2011, 6:41 PM 1

Posts: 6023; Member since: Dec 30, 2010

posted on Nov 13, 2011, 1:12 PM 0

Posts: 108; Member since: Sep 06, 2011

You apple nuts continue to baffle me. People want flash because it works. HTML5 is still a work in progress so until it provides anything as good as flash, people will still want flash. You don't understand this because your iphones don't even have it. Stop criticizing other phones because they have a function that yours doesn't have. Your oh-so-dear HTML5 is also present in them so having flash for them is an extra perk. But i guess you don't like watching videos through your native browser or even play flash games. But I guess when you have a pidly-ass 3.5 inch screen its not worth having flash.

posted on Nov 11, 2011, 3:35 PM 4

Posts: 113; Member since: Mar 31, 2009

AKm007 I think that your comments are a little out of control maybe you need some kind of benzo of some sort to calm your aggression down. Just because someone has an Iphone doesnt mean they never had an android device thats 1...2 is html is for all mobile devices and will change the industry in a much better fashion than adobe did. Im not an apple nut by the way I just went to an Iphone4s that I actually like alot and I had an HTC EVO before that. There are pros and cons to each phone any which way you look at it. Calm down everything is going to be ok

posted on Nov 11, 2011, 3:53 PM 2

Posts: 108; Member since: Sep 06, 2011

I never said you're an apple nut. All I'm saying is that criticizing somethings that's proven to work efficiently just because the product you use doesn't have it is wrong. Do we say that Imessage is a stupid thing and useless because Whatsapp sends messages from androids to apples as well? Or do we call the GPU of the iphone crap even though it is amazing just because about 5 years later there is going to be a better version? I find it stupid when people say having flash is useless. You can watch youtube vids on your phone without having to open the youtube app. You don't find blank spaces and question marks on your phone in place of flash stuff. And most of all, you can't play flash games. There are pros and cons of everything. I agree. But this is about a person saying that something isn't a con because there is something down the pipeling which is better. Might as well just say that the original exynos processor is no longer useful since the new version came out.

posted on Nov 13, 2011, 8:26 AM 1

Posts: 2198; Member since: Sep 09, 2010

@ak. Really. Flash works so well that they're dumpingit over html5. Good one android fanboy. Html5 is a work in progress? And flash is on mobile not? Lol. I understand clearly alright. Apple has been pushing for html5 because they know that it would just work better on mobile than flash. Android fanboys on the other hand, cling on to flash just so they can brag that their android devices support it, even at the expense of slowing down the progression of html5. If not for Apple's thinking differently, smartphones won't be this smart as it is now. If not for Apple sticking to their principles against flash, html5 will never take off and you'd be stuck with inferior flash :)

posted on Nov 11, 2011, 5:38 PM 2

Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 2008

gemini, quit trolling.
No one is "holding on dearly" to flash.
Flash works. its worked on PC for quite some time and it now works quite well on smartphones. It IS the standard, no matter how much you want to troll. HTML5 WILL BE the standard in probably 7-10 years, but it is not now. So you can hold your breath until everyone converts to HTML5, or you can take a more reasonable approach like the rest of us, and love on both. Seeing as how you keep trolling on the issue, it doesnt look like you can do the latter.
The vast majority of the web is built on flash content. It costs money to convert it to HTML5. You have to pay people and buy the tools. For the vast majority of smaller websites, its a waist of money. If they already have flash up, there is no benefit to them right now to convert it to HTML5. Maybe in a year or 2 Adobe will drop some cool tool that autoconverts from flash to HTML5 some how, which would reduce cost and time, but as of right now Adobe shutting down their mobile development team means NOTHING. Absolutey NOTHING.
Flash support on the web hasnt died. Flash support on mobile is as strong as ever since it is still going to be on the worlds most popular OS, Android, which also supports HTML5. It is still going to get bug support and patches from Adobe. It is not dead, it is simply not getting any new features.
If apple announced they are going to stop at iOS5 and not make an iOS6 but still support iOS5 fully, would iOS be dead?? No, it wouldnt. Its the same principal.
So while you close your eyes and do your troll chants, the rest of us will enjoy the FULL web as it is(flash), and as it will be(HTML5).

posted on Nov 11, 2011, 3:40 PM 5

Posts: 2198; Member since: Sep 09, 2010

@remix. Oh so now I'm trolling. Well maybe I am. But what are you doing here? Oh yes, you're trolling as well.
Flash works poorly. It's not effective on mobile platform as html5 is. Apple have seen that and known that. That is why they never supported it on their idevices. If android, along with Apple and winmo, worked together in supporting html5 and leaving flash, that would've hastened the progression of html5. But no. Google used flash to be their asset against Apple, and so did android fanboys, which slowed down the progression of flash. You are not in it for what's better, but for having a platform that's more common (though ineffective) that Apple does not support so you can seem like to have something to your advantage over Apple. But Apple proves to be right again in the end. And thanks to Apple's stubbornness against flash, that adobe finally gave in. Google and android fanboys only ride on to what Apple has aggressively fought for. That's the truth that once again, android fanboys like you would twist around. You android fanboys are shameless.

posted on Nov 11, 2011, 5:53 PM 2

Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 2008

flash works pretty darn well actually. Had you used an android phone recently, you would know that.
no, actually, im not trolling. So, anyone that doesnt support you is trolling? lol.
You really think that a device that has a 20% marketshare had more of an impact over a device that has a 42% marketshare? where do you guys get your logic...
the reality is more than likely, NEITHER had much to do with it. because they didnt kill flash..

posted on Nov 11, 2011, 8:02 PM 3

Posts: 259; Member since: Oct 20, 2011

Following your logic, until humanity discovered iron smelting they had to hunt naked because stone made weapons in a near future, would be obsolete? Or everyone should stop eating because in the year 2050 someone will discover a new type of food.
Flash was never the best web technology but allowed us until today to see video streams like youtube. As always there's a progress and thank god there's one, else we couldn't post like we're doing right now.
Another example, if Apple was a car seller they would sell you a flintstone-style car without engine because fuel powered vehicles are bad and unhealthy. True story, but if you permit me today the world runs with that and I pay to have it, unless you're offering me a new type of engine. Apple simply removed the flash feature, didn't offer you an alternative for all the web sites in the world.
Do you prefer to have the final word on a product that is yours and paid much more, or do you just want to be subjugated by Apple's decisions? Sadly fans are doing worse, they praise that decision aswell: guys you're free to buy and iProduct but at least have the balls to criticize it, don't be a sheep.

posted on Nov 11, 2011, 5:22 PM 2

Posts: 2198; Member since: Sep 09, 2010

@evil. Html5 has been a working platform for years now. You're making it seem like html5 is still being realized, lol. Your example does not apply to html5's status quo.
Apple has been utilizing html5 since the very 1st iphone in 2007. It is a standard platform. Flash is not, but it seemed standard due to its dominance. Html5's adoption could've happened earlier if not for google's support of flash which kept flash alive on mobile devices longer. Why? Because it was android's selling point. Am I wrong or right? Android phones sell because they brag of their flash support even when they know that flash always mess things up. Android held on to flash so they can have something that idevices do not have.
Apple did not push for html5 out of leap of faith, lol. Html5 exists. And Apple pushed it to improve, NOT ANDROID. Android just waits for Apple's victories and rips Apple off. They did that with the iphone. They also did that with the ipad.

posted on Nov 11, 2011, 6:07 PM 3

Posts: 74; Member since: Dec 07, 2010

@ gemini....Just wondering ....please dont take this the wrong way ...... Just a few questions
I know apple, since they came full swing back into the game in pushes stuff none else has, leopard OS or now Lion,..... all the differences of PCs , windows, ya know
Dont even accuse me of any troll, I am an avid BB user of 6 years before they were ever "hot" to have,
Owned an android for the past year....
now have an new SgS2 and a WP& phone cuz i like the design, and OS, kinda getting bored with android, but it has features i feel make it a great phone, FLash is the last reason i decided to check out android
yes, i cannot back myself in an Apple fight , cuz the f**ked me so bad on an ipod i will never buy from then again, plus i feel it is retarded to link to itunes for everything...although i heard this finally changed wit cloud an OS 5 which in a great step foward,
But u say its a relevant tech this HTML5 and been around for years , can u please tell me other devices that use it????? i mean i dont know of any
and the world ran with CSS java forever, now flash, but i see minimal products use HTML 5......so what others use it.....i mean gas engine is the way to go now, till other ways show improvment
so please dont look at this an an attack, a trolling, Just curious to know why you like HTML, what you know about it and what other devices support it?

posted on Nov 11, 2011, 7:08 PM 1

Posts: 259; Member since: Oct 20, 2011

...Apple was supporting html5 so much that before ios5 you could get less than 10 fps on html5 test! Tried on my old 3gs before updating it to iOs5 even my galaxy s2 was better, 15 fps. On my macbook pro i7 920 with safari 16 fps, on firefox 18 fps. On my desktop win7 i7 920 html5 test was 60 fps.
Conclusion: before iOS5, Apple had the worst html5 performance on all devices. Now you'll probably say that the test was a conspiracy against Apple...if so, why with ios5 now you get over 30 fps on the same test and same iphone 3gs?
Like the band guano apes sing, open your eyes open your mind...

posted on Nov 11, 2011, 7:21 PM 2

Posts: 390; Member since: May 24, 2010

Technically he is not trolling. The success of Html5 is in a great part an Apple story. Since Apple has been one of the biggest supporters and he is an Apple supporter, it makes you the troll. Just my 2 cents.

posted on Nov 11, 2011, 3:41 PM 2

Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 2008

The success of HTML5? The standard doesnt even exist yet. Its on a third or less of the "popular/big" web sites.. its nearly non existent on smaller websites.
In what way is it successful "right now"??
APPLE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH HTML5.
So, Im a troll because i dont support apple, which you feel is a big reason HTML5 is going to be the standard (which it absolutely has nothing to do with it)??
ooook... lol.. if you say so.

posted on Nov 11, 2011, 4:28 PM 4

Posts: 364; Member since: Oct 27, 2011

@remix what's up with Gemini... Since taco got moderated he has become super troll.. "Android fan this Android fan that..
@Gemini you need to slow your roll bro before you get the hammer too.. Every post I've read today is you Android fan hating.. Say something decent or keep it to yourself.. It can't be that hard to simply bite your tongue.

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